Voting-machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. MOTAMMANY. VOTING MACHINE.

No. 580,141. Patented Apr. 6, 1897.

Governor.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. MOTAMMANY. VOTING MAUHINE.

UNITED STATES PATENT rmcn.

JOHN MCTAMMANY, OF SPENCER, MASSACHUSETTS.

VOTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 580,141, dated April 6,1897.

Application filed November 22,1895. Serial No. 569,769. (No model.)

To (tZZ whont it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN lllCTAMMANY, of Spencer, in the county oflVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Voting Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to that class of voting-machines in which acasing is employed having punches movable in guides in front of thecasing adapted to be pressed inwardly or projected by a voter standingin front of the casing and a tally-sheet supported in the casing inposition to be perforated by said punches, suitable mechanism beingemployed for feeding the tally-sheet progressively, so that after eachvoter has made a series of perforations in the sheet, representing hisballot, the sheet may be advanced and held in readiness for the nextvoter.

The invention has for its object to provide certain improvements in avoting-machine of this class whereby the machine is rendered moreefficient and desirable in certain respects, all as hereinafter setforth.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a machine provided with myimprovements. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3represents a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4c represents a sectionon line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 represents a section on line 5 5 of Fig.2. Fig. 6 represents a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 2. Fig.7 represents asection on line 7 7 of Fig. 1.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

In the drawings, a represents the casing of the machine, the front plateor side of which is constructed to hold a series of fixed ballots b b1), Figs. 1 and 2, and to this end may be formed with a series ofrecesses adapted to receive printed slips comprising said ballots andglass plates removably secured to the machine, or other suitable meansfor holding the ballots in place. Beside each ballot is a row ofpush-pieces 0, each in line with a name-space upon the adjacent ballot,there being as many rows of push-pieces as there are ballots. Saidpush-pieces are movable longitudinally in guides formed in the frontplate of the casing.

lVithin the casing is a single vertical row of punches cl, which isfitted to slide in guides in a frame or holder (1, which is removablysecured to the casing by means hereinafter described. The said row ofpunches extends vertically in the casin g, the punches being arranged tomove toward and from the tallysheet 6, which extends from a supply-rollfto a receiving-roll f, journaled in the casing, the intermediate portionof the strip passing between the rear side piece of the frame d and aplate g, which contains orifices 9, serving as female dies to cooperatewith the punches (Z.

There are as many punches as there are push-pieces; but as all thepunches are arranged in a single row, while the push-pieces are arrangedin a plurality of rows,the greater part of which are necessarily out ofalinement with the punches, I have provided a series of levers t', whichare pivoted at t" to fixed studs on the casing, each lever bearing atonepoint upon one of the push-pieces and at another pointupon one of thepunches.

The relative arrangement of the pushpieces, levers, and punches is shownclearly in Fig. 6, where I have shown only a part of the levers andpunches. The central row of push-pieces is or may be in alinement withthe punches operated thereby, so that no intermediate connections arerequired, the push pieces of this row bearing directly against thepunches they operate. It will be seen that by this arrangement ofpunches in a single row the record made by each voter is a straight rowof holes extending at right angles with the length of the sheet, thelatter being held stationary while the voter is manipulating thepush-pieces and moved along one step after the voter has finished andbefore the next voter commences.

It is to be noted that there is no positive or permanent connectionbetween the pushpieces and the levers, said push-pieces havin g slottedor bifurcated inner ends straddling the levers, as clearly shown in Fig.at, and, moreover, there is no positive or permanent connection betweenthe levers and punches,

said levers simply bearing against the punches and not in any wayhindering removal of the punches with their frame from the casing.

The feed-movement of the strip may be effected by any suitable means,the means here shown being a lever 70, pivoted at 7c to the casing andconnected by a rod 70 with a lever L which is mounted to oscillate uponthe shaft f of the receiving-roll said shaft having aliiXed to itaratchet f which is engaged by a spring-pressed dog 7c on the lever It. Amovement of the lever 7c in one direction will move the dog backwardlyover the teeth of the ratchet, while movement of the lever in theopposite direction will move the dog forward and cause it to partiallyrotate the ratchet and the receiving-roll f.

I have provided mechanism whereby movement of the lever 7t preparatoryto feeding the sheet will retract the projected punches before the sheetcommences to move, so that the sheet cannot be torn by punchesprojecting into it. The mechanism shown in the present case,particularly in Fig. 2, comprises a slide 0, movable upon thepunch-holding frame (1 and provided with a flange 0', which when theslide is moved in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 strikes a pin 0on any punch that may be projected, forcing said punch backwardly.

The slide 0 is moved in the direction indicated by means of a lever 0pivoted at 0 to the casing and arranged to bear upon a pin or stud 0projecting from the slide 0, a bar 0 fitted to slide in guides on thecasin and hearing at one end against the lever o, and a slide 0pivotally connected at o with the lever and having acam 0 arranged tomove across the outer end of the bar 0, said slide 0 being guided byfixed guides 0 \Vhen the lever is moved to the left from the positionshown in. Fig. 2, the cam 0 will force the bar 0 inwardly, causing thelatter to move the lever o and thus move the slide 0 in the directionrequired to retract the projected punches.

The provision made for causing the retraction of the punches prior tothe movement of the sheet is a slot is in the red A and a pin connectedto the lever 7s and passing through said slot, the latter giving thelever sufficient independent motion to enable it to retract the punchesbefore it commences to feed the sheet.

I do not limit myself to the described details of mechanism forretractin the punches and for feeding the sheet, and may accomplishthese results by any other suitable mechanism.

It will be observed that I have provided for the positive withdrawal orretraction of the punches. By this I obtain the following advantages,namely: first, there is no liability of the punches sticking in oradhering to the sheet when projected, and, secondly, the projectedpunches remain in their projected position while the voter is voting, sothat they constitute an indication to him of the character of his vote.

E represents a shield or cover, which 0011- ceals the plate g, intowhich the punches are projected, thus preventing an observer at the rearof the machine from noting what particular punches are projected by anyvoter, but the major portion of the sheetis exposed, so that itsmovements can be seen and the punch-holes observed soon after they aremade, and thus fraud or defective operation detected.

The frame (1, which carries the punches, is here shown as provided withspring-projected bolts (1, whereby it maybe locked to the easing, thewithdrawal of said bolts pernlitting the plate to be readily removedwith the punches.

To provide for the ready removal of either of the push-pieces from thecasing, I provide for each row of push-pieces a locking-strip or piece"r, having a series of orifices r, the upper portions of which areformed to bear against the outer sides of collars or enlarge ments 0,formed on the push-pieces, while the lower portions of said orifices arelarger than said collars. By raising the strip 0', so as to bring theenlarged portions of its orifices into alinement with the collars c, thepush-pieces can be readily withdrawn from the casing, the collars beingsmaller in diam eter than the enlarged parts of the orifices 'r.

I claim 1. In a voting-machine, the combination of a single row ofpunches; sheet-feedin g mechanism whereby a tally-sheet may be movedacross the row of punches; a plurality of rows of push-knobs arrangedparallel with and on both sides of the row of punches; and leversextending side by side across the punches for engagement therewith andpivoted alternately on opposite sides of the row of punches, said leversconnecting with the push-knobs respectively and having offsets so thatlevers in different planes may cooperate with pushknobs in the sameplane, substantially as described.

2. In a voting-machine, the combination of a single row of punches;sheet-feeding mechanism whereby a tally-sheet may be moved across therows of punches; a plurality of rows of push-knobs arranged parallelwith and on opposite sides of the row of punches; levers extending sideby side across the punches for engagement therewith and pivotedalternately on opposite sides of the row of punches, said leversconnecting with the push-knobs respectively and having oifsets so thatlevers in different planes may cooperate with pushknobs in the sameplane; and a central series of push-knobs in line with a correspondin gnumber of the punches and operating directly thereagainst substantiallyas described.

In a voting-machine, the combination of a row of punches; a delivery anda receiving roll for a tally-sheet to be acted on by said punches; meansfor projecting the punches; an operating-lever; and punch-retractin gand sheet-feeding connections between said lever, the punches and thesheet receiving roll, whereby the projected punches are positivelyretracted and the sheet moved in the order specified.

4. 111 a voting-machine, the combination of a row of punches, adelivering and a receiving roll for a tally-sheet to be acted on by saidpunches, means for projecting the punches, a punch-retracting slidearranged to engage the projected punches, an operating-lever, andintermediate connections between said lever, the retracting slide, andthe sheet-receiving roll, whereby the said slide and roll aresuccessively operated.

5. In a voting-machine, the combination of a casing open at the back,tally-sheet-carrying rolls in the casing, punches arranged between theplane of a sheet carried by said rolls and the front of the casing andadapted to be projected toward the back of the casing to perforate saidsheet, and a shield or cover of limited extent interposed between thepor tion of the sheet penetrated by the punches and the back of thecasing, whereby secrecy is preserved as to the particular punchesoperated, while the tally-sheet is exposed so that its movements arevisible,and the punchholes may be observed shortly after being made, forthe purpose described.

6. In a voting-machine, the combination with a casing, and a row ofpunches in suitable guides within the casing; of a row of push-piecesrectilinearly movable in suitable guides in the casing and laterallyremoved from the plane of the punches, and couplinglevers pivoted to thecasing and bearing against the punches and the push-pieces without rigidor permanent connection with either, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 13th day of November, A. D.1895.

J OIIN MOTAMMANY. lVitn esses:

C. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON.

